1. Technical Field
This invention relates to transportation and, more particularly, to a power-operated mud flap device for prohibiting foreign debris and fluids from egressing away from existing vehicle tires.
2. Prior Art
One of the areas that is highly regulated, and one that can cause a great deal of expense to comply with, is the general mandatory use of truck wheel flaps or mud flaps. It cannot be denied that mud flaps are required to protect other vehicles and pedestrians. Conventionally, mud flaps are suspended from the truck body rearward of the rear truck wheels to prevent mud, stones or other debris material from being thrown or ejected in a rearward direction from the truck wheels and striking trailing vehicles or pedestrians. Generally, the mud flaps are merely suspended freely and therefore when the truck is traveling in loose ground or gravel in reverse, the flaps are often torn by coming in contact with the rear tires.
Large trucks, such as dump trucks, used in interstate commerce are required by law to have mud flaps behind each set of rear wheels. Such flaps are required to protect other vehicles and persons from rocks and other debris being ejected from the truck's wheels. The flaps often can be torn from the rear of the vehicle when it is backed into some objects or in the case of a dump truck, when the flap is buried by the load being deposited from the dump truck. The resultant lack of a proper mud flap on many vehicles, thus, gives rise to injuries and property damage.
Another shortcoming of conventional mud flap assemblies is the fact that they only prevent debris launched towards the rear of the truck. It is well known though that in an event like a tire blow out, or when striking a large object, a large truck can send debris in all directions, not just rearward. Thus, these events place any motorist or pedestrians positioned along side the truck at great risk of being struck by such debris.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,684,311 to Pierce discloses a mudguard attachment for automobiles, the sides of the bodies of which curve transversely inwardly at their lower edge portion. The attachment comprises a step member resembling a running board adapted to be extended horizontally along the side of the car body at the lower edge thereof, being secured at its inner edge to said car body and extending transversely outwardly beneath the inwardly curved portion of the car body, extending fore and aft between the wheel wells of said body, and a pair of flexible end plates each disposed transversely to the vehicle and secured at its lower edge to one end of the side step member and extending upwardly into the associated wheel well. Unfortunately, this prior art example does not protect other vehicles and pedestrians positioned perpendicularly along side a vehicle from debris.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,690 to Whittington discloses an invention for reducing side spray for trucks and other vehicles. The apparatus includes a flexible flap suspended behind the tires of the vehicle with a stiffening device of relatively elongate construction arranged at the outer edge thereof and extending forwardly therefrom. The flap further lacks any substantial stiffening element at the inner edge thereby effecting the flap so that the flap deflects inwardly along the inner edge of the flap and thereby directs air currents and roadway fluids to the inside of the truck. The stiffening device also obstructs fluids from passing around the outer edge of the flap with a forwardly extending main wall portion and an inwardly directed leading wall portion. Unfortunately, this prior art example also does not protect other vehicles or pedestrians positioned along side a truck from debris ejected perpendicularly from the vehicle tires.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,841 to Matthew discloses a mudguard assembly for heavy goods vehicles. A molded mudguard, sized to envelop more than 50% of the upper part and rear of an outer tire of the vehicle is mounted on two rods engageable in sockets bolted to the chassis of the vehicle. The assembly includes a quick release mechanism to enable ease of installation and of removal of the mudguard for access. This prior art example addresses the problem of debris ejecting from the side of a vehicle tire. Unfortunately, however, this example does not provide a means of easily retracting the mudguard to allow the user to clean the tires.
Accordingly, a need remains for a power-operated mud flap device in order to overcome the above-noted shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing a device that is convenient and easy to use, is durable in design, and designed for prohibiting foreign debris and fluids from egressing away from existing vehicle tires.